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United States Patent |
6,254,068
|
Chen
,   et al.
|
July 3, 2001
|
Shock absorbing support arrangement for a vibration feeder
Abstract
A shock absorbing support arrangement for a vibration feeder, which
includes an upright support fixedly mounted on a bottom plate to hold a
bearing, a carrier board slidably coupled to the upright support and
supported on the bearing, two shock absorbing sliding mechanisms
respectively mounted on the upright support at different elevations to
hold the carrier board there between, enabling the carrier board to be
smoothly oscillated upon operation of the vibration feeder.
Inventors:
|
Chen; Meng-Chun (Hsinchu Hsien, TW);
Lin; Chih-Chien (Taipei Hsien, TW);
Chang; Fang (Hsinchu, TW)
|
Assignee:
|
Industrial Technology Research Institute (Hsinchu Hsien, TW)
|
Appl. No.:
|
460401 |
Filed:
|
December 13, 1999 |
Current U.S. Class: |
267/136; 248/638; 267/141.1 |
Intern'l Class: |
F16M 001/00 |
Field of Search: |
188/378,379,380
248/636,638
267/136,137,141.1
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4477050 | Oct., 1984 | Thompson et al. | 248/636.
|
4674725 | Jun., 1987 | Popper | 248/562.
|
5964327 | Oct., 1999 | Shih | 188/380.
|
6116784 | Sep., 2000 | Brotz | 248/638.
|
Primary Examiner: Schwartz; Christopher P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bacon & Thomas, PLLC
Claims
What the invention claimed is:
1. A shock absorbing support arrangement comprising:
a bottom plate;
a carrier board spaced above said bottom plate, said carrier board
comprising a through hole, and two recessed portions respectively disposed
on top and bottom side walls thereof around the through hole;
an upright support fixedly mounted on said bottom plate, said upright
support comprising a shank inserted through the through hole on said
carrier board;
a bearing mounted on said upright support to support said carrier board,
said bearing comprising an elastic body mounted on an upper section of
said shank, said elastic body comprising a center through hole, which
receives said shank, and an annular flange raised from a top sidewall
thereof around the center through hole thereof;
a first shock absorbing mechanism and a second shock absorbing mechanism
respectively mounted on said shank at two opposite sides of said carrier
board above said bearing, said first shock absorbing mechanism and said
second shock absorbing mechanism each comprising a first annular cushion
respectively disposed in contact with said carrier board, a second annular
cushion, and an annular sliding device retained between said first annular
cushion and said second annular cushion, said first annular cushion and
said second annular cushion and said annular sliding device each having a
center through hole of diameter greater than said shank, said annular
sliding device comprising an annular disk having a plurality of
equiangularly spaced locating holes, and a plurality of movable elements
respectively moved in said locating holes and disposed in contact with the
corresponding first annular cushion and the corresponding second annular
cushion.
2. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 wherein said shank of
said upright support is a stepped shank.
3. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first
annular cushion of each of said shock absorbing mechanisms is respectively
fitted into the recessed portions on said carrier board.
4. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first
annular cushion and second annular cushion of each of said shock absorbing
mechanisms each have a smooth side wall disposed in contact with the
movable elements of the respective annular sliding device.
5. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 wherein said movable
elements are steel balls.
6. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 wherein said movable
elements are needle rollers.
7. The shock absorbing support arrangement of claim 1 further comprising an
end cap fastened to said shank to secure said shock-absorbing mechanisms,
said carrier board and said bearing in place.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates a vibration feeder, and more specifically to
a shock absorbing support arrangement for a vibration feeder.
In a vibration feeder, a cam is moved with the output shaft of a motor
relative to a shank, causing the shank to vibrate, and therefore work
pieces are distributed to assembly lines in good order. Because shocks are
produced during the operation of the vibration feeder, the component parts
around the shank tend to be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing
support arrangement, which lessens shock waves during the operation of the
vibration feeder, preventing damage to surrounding mechanisms. It is
another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing
support arrangement, which is practical for use in any of a variety of
vibration feeders. According to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the shock absorbing support arrangement comprises an upright
support fixedly mounted on a bottom plate to hold a bearing, a carrier
board slidably coupled to the upright support, two shock absorbing sliding
mechanisms respectively mounted on the upright support at different
elevations to hold the carrier board there between, enabling the carrier
board to be smoothly oscillated upon operation of the vibration feeder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective assembly view of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view in section in an enlarged scale of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the upright support oscillated.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V--V of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. from 1 through 3, the present invention provides to a
shock absorbing support arrangement 1 for a vibration feeder, which absorb
shocks during the operation of the vibration feeder. The shock absorbing
support arrangement 1 is comprised of an upright support 2, a bearing 3,
and two shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4'. The upright support 2
comprises a mounting base 21 fixedly fastened to a bottom plate 5 by a
screw 6, and a stepped shank 22 raised from the mounting base 21. The
bearing 3 is mounted on the stepped shank 22 of the upright support 2,
comprising an elastic body 32. The elastic body 32 comprises a center
through hole 33, which receives the stepped shank 22, and an annular
flange 31 rose from the top sidewall thereof around the center through
hole 33. The shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4' are respectively mounted
on the upper section of the stepped shank 22 and supported on the bearing
3 with a carrier board 7 retained between the shock absorbing mechanisms 4
and 4'. After installation of the shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4' and
the carrier board 7, an end cap 23 is fastened to the stepped 15 shank 22
to fix the shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4', the carrier board 7, and
the support 2 together. The carrier board 7 has a through hole 72, which
receives the stepped shank 22, and two recessed portions 71 respectively
disposed on top and bottom side walls thereof around the through hole 72.
The shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4' each comprise a first annular
cushion 41, a second annular cushion 42, and an annular sliding device 43
retained between the annular cushions 41 and 42. The first annular
cushions 41 of the two shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and 4 are respectively
fitted into the recessed portions 71 on the top and bottom side walls of
the carrier board 7. The annular sliding device 43 comprises an annular
disk 431 having a center through hole 434 and a plurality of locating
holes 432 equiangularly spaced around the center through hole 434, and a
plurality of movable elements (steel balls or needle rollers) 433
respectively moved in the locating holes 432 and disposed in contact with
the smooth bottom side wall 411 of the first annular cushion 41 and the
smooth top side wall 421 of the second annular cushion 42. The center
through hole 412, 422, or 434 of the first annular cushion 41, the second
annular cushion 42, or the annular sliding device 43 has a diameter
greater than the diameter of the upper section of the stepped shank 22 of
the support 2. When installed, the annular flange 31 of the bearing 3
fitted into the center through hole 422 of the second cushion 42 of one
shock absorbing mechanism 4.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when the vibration mechanism 8 of the vibration
feeder is started, the support 2 is moved with the bottom plate 5, causing
the second annular cushions 42 of the two shock absorbing mechanisms 4 and
4' to be moved with the bearing 3, the end cap 23 and the stepped shank 22
relative to the respective annular sliding device 43, and therefore the
carrier board 7 is smoothly oscillated.
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